Automatic steering device



-H. DINGMAN. AUTOMATIC STEERING DEVICE, APPLICATION FILED JULY 23, I919.

Patented Nov. 23; 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- WITNESSES Ml I/E IV TOR I Henry flwv mn ,4 TTORNEYS H. DINGMAN.

AUTOMATIC STEERING DEVICE. I APPLICATION FILED JULY 23, 1919- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES jW EIVTOR am Henry 2 I W A TTOR/l/EYS UNITED TATES HENRY nmcrivraiv. or wn srr ronvr, IOWA. I

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To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, HENRY DINGMAN, a citizen of the United States,and-a resident of West Point, in the county of Lee and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvement in" Automatic Steering De vices, of which the following is a specification. r

This invention appertains to a class of device employed in connection with powerdriven vehicles and is adapted to be employed more particularly in connection with tractors for use in drawing farm machinery.

The invention aims to provide a device which may be integral with the front axle, although 1 preferably provide what might be termed a supplemental axle to be attached to the steering axle for guiding the tractor, so that the same will work parallel to its last path of travel without the control of an operator, so that the operator upon the tractor is relieved of all except the minimum of attention to thetractor and may be in a position to adjust the working of the plows or other devices drawn by said tractor.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a tractor illustrating the practical application of my application;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the front axle;

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of a supplemental axle section provided by invention Fig. 4 is a similar view of the two portions of the clamp;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section through my improved device in position on the tractor axle;

Fig. 6 is a-perspective view of a portion of the driving axle illustrating a modified form of attachment;

Fig. 7 is an elevation of the form of a supplemental axle section, according to the modification; and I Fig. 8 is a detail perspective'view of the support or clamp attached to the tractor axle, according to Figs. 6 and 7.

Referring to these figures and particularly to Fig. 1, I have indicated a tractor generally at 10 the front axle of which appears at 11 and is provided, in accordance with my invention, with a supplemental axlesection having a tubular cylindrical body 12 provided with an angular extension 13, projecting in the direction of the length of the specificationof Letters Patent. I Patented NOV, 23, 1920,

3 Application filed July 23, 1919. Serial Iva-312,687. i

body 12beyond the outer end thereof, the extens on terminatingin a reduced angular spindle 143- which is inclined forwardly and 'downwardly and has terminal threads 15.

The spindle of'thefsupplemental axlei section "i's'yin prance;- similar to the- 'spi'ndle' 1c "of the tractor axle 11, so as to enable detach ment of one side wheel and dispositionof the wheel upon the spindle of the supplemental axle section after the latter has been secured in operative position, although, as shown in Fig. 1, I have preferably utilized a wheel 17 which has aperipheral rib 17 around the median line of its thread so as to insure its firm engagement with the ground. i

inclination of the supplemental spindle, 14L

will assume a position out of the vertical,

whereby once the wheel is guided into a pre viously made furrow it will act to maintain.

the tractor along a movable course parallel to the previously made furrow, as seen in F 1, and in this way obviate the necessity for constant attention of the operator tothe matter of direction. This will permit the operator to concentrate more particularly upon the adjustment and maintenance of the plows or other implements the tractor may be engaged in drawing. j As seen in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, the

supplemental axle section is preferably at-' tached by virtue of an annular flange 18*. at the inner end of its tubular'body 12, ar ranged to abut the flange 19 of a pair of curved supporting members 20 said flanges;

18 and 19 being secured in non-rotatable relation by relatively engaging lugs 18 and recesses 19". are disposed to partiallyembrace theaxle 11 at a properly spaced point with respect to its spindle 16, the latter of which re- The supporting members 20 ceives the body 12, and thus, when nut 21 are clamped by U-clamps22 to the main axle 11, the supplemental axle section "will be rigidly fastened in place. As seen in Figs. 6, 7 ,and body 'l2 of the supplemental axle section, here illustrated, having an angular section 13 and a spindle 14 may be provided at its inner end with an offset lug 23arranged is screwed upon the threaded end of the spindle 16 and'the supporting members-20 v 8, however, the

to engage a V shaped notch 24 of one flange end 25 of a supporting member 26, which, like the supporting members 20, partially embraces the axle 11, as seen in Fig. 6, and is secured by U-clamps 22*. It will be understood that the spindle 145 is inclined like the spindle 14 previously described and adapted to receive and support the Wheel 17 in a like manner.

I claim 1.7 A steering device for a power driven axle When its usual Wheel is removed, such spindle extending downwardly and forspindle, of an attachment including a tubular body telescoping the said spindle when its Wheel is removed, an anchor member se cured 0n the axle adjacent to the spindle and With which the said body is engaged, a supplemental spindle carried by the "body and depending in forwardlyinclined rela-V tion therefrom, and a steering Wheel on saidsupplemental spindle. j 7 v HENRY DINGMAN; 

